AS culture, NT culture. How diversity training/learning/workshop can help commun

[Guest guest]

AS culture, NT culture & how diversity training/lerning/workshop can help communication.

Diversity means many, many different things. It is not necessarily bound anymore to gender, ethnic background, or belief ONLY anymore.

I will try to tell my own experiences and how learning a little bit about diversity has helped me communicate better with others and even with someone who is as well AS.

At work, we are trying to make way for "progress" and we are envisioning a much more diverse group.

Most of the people I work with belong to one specific ethnic background.

Among 30 to 60 people, and for a couple of years I was the only Hispanic person in the group. I was seeing as a threat and the responses I got from 98% of the group were defensive. I was not being accepted in the group, I had to choice: leave or stay and work through their ignorance (ignorance is meant here NOT as insult, but as them not having a clue of who I was). Just the same, I had no clue of who they were as it did not have friends that belonged to that ethnic group.

At the beginning it was rough, but I was there for a different reason than most of them. I had a mission of my own (very personal reason to change carriers) I was not about to leave because of them.

I stayed and I endure a lot of things, but treated them as they have never seem to treat each other (with respect) I also took them on account on things and learned "about" their culture.

Eventually another Hispanic people came and most of them quit, they did not want to be treated the way they were being treated by people. I convinced one to stay, and explain to her what was going on and how to deal with things. She did and still does a fair job at it; I still have to report certain treatments to management as them to do something about it. The problem was that management was also part of their culture. As of five month ago, that has changed and things are improving.

I had training this past week and I was among upper management doing this course.

They heard of the problems I face in any other culture that is not like mine. I am mostly rejected at the beginning and people usually have "pre-conceived ideas of what I am".

My looks usually give people the idea that I am Mediterranean. Then I must be dangerous and people get suspicious. Most tend to think I am form the Middle East, which I am not.

Once I tell then that I am from El Salvador and where El Salvador is, then they think I am not legally in this country.

Either way I am doomed! In one I am a possible terrorist and in the other one I am illegal!

Here are some of those negative and Wrong perceptions.

As a Hispanic woman, I am here illegally and also do not pay taxes. Wrong assumption!

Once I educate them about the "facts and truth", then I am alright for the few nano-seconds it take most of them to assume that: I married an American Guy to get a citizenship. Wrooooooong assumption, as I got my citizenship due to my own efforts and hard work AND I HAVE THE PAPER WORK to prove it all IF need be!

When ex offered it to me and said it would only take few month, I said: NO!, never! I thank him for it, but I was truly upset as I did not want 'ever' anyone accusing me of having married for a citizenship. I

I have explained with nice, yet strong words to those who thought so and explained that it was not my never my case. Sometimes it is hard for me to keep my cool, after all it is an insult in my views. Yet I have "conditioned" my self and my body to react by taking an step back and think of how hard it might be for them to think outside their "box". After all, it is their own culture where most of their times is spent in. So I try to educate them and also ask questions as to educate myself of where they are coming from.

The lists goes on and on and on and on. Sometimes is about big things; sometimes is about little things. I have been learning about diversity for some time now, so I have learned how to deal with the different cultures BY MEANS of I, learning about THEM.

In the process I also teach them a little bit bout me and my culture, so that they can feel safe and not so scared of what they do not really know.

I set the example as well, and when they have some sort of celebration, I congratulate them on it and ask how it went.

If it is a work thing, then I participate in their celebration and provide them with cool facts about their own culture they themselves might not know about. IT SHOWS that we all can work together even when we are different to reach a common goal".

At the beginning it also shows tolerance for each other differences, but the tolerance soon enough changes to acceptance!

It is in the acceptance phase that things calm down a bit and people team up to reach harmony, to deal with each other in a different light. It is the realization that the give and take of being diverse "makes sense" and it is easier to compromise.

The needs to the other person are know as well as my needs. It is a "process" that cannot be applied successfully 'unless' it is understood.

It is the understanding of WHOM I am dealing with and HOW their reactions might be the one that help me "communicate better" with some of those who belong to a different culture than mine.

That culture might have nothing to do with Ethnic background at all. My co-workers who are Hispanic (now four of us) are totally different and our customs might also be. There is common ground; yet we all still are different.. We have different intellectuality, different ways of reasoning, and even a lot (a whole lot) of the words we use, are different.

Our backgrounds affect how we live and how we behave. Even in the same family, kids will be completely different according to their tempers and what they learned. Also their way of perceiving the learning will be different and it will reflect in their way of living life and how they relate to others.

Recognizing and giving credit for the abilities that make us who we are-- and how those abilities are an asset to a relationship or partnership-- is what make us take the same path to reach harmony and productivity in all aspects of life.

All in all having learned about diversity has helped me a lot in how I react to others emotions and also perceptions.

I feel that many of the people who are in a marriage where different culture(s)

are present can benefit greatly. Let that culture be of different ethnic groups, different abilities, different social groups, different educational backgrounds....... Or the AS or NT culture.

Learning what truly matters to the other person, no matter how little or how big it is; will bring harmony and more peace to each other in life. After all the ultimate purpose in life is to be happy and in my case, to have peace of mind.

Sincerely,

.

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